My fake SM57

[kylendm]

I'm super pissed right now. For years I've had this SM57 and when recording it actually never sounded that bad. I grabbed another one, NEW, and just figured I'd take a look at the differences. They were different in almost every way and now after looking at videos it's extremely obvious.

I hate when this kinda shit happens and wish I had a real one earlier. I want to do a few recording tests to see if there is a legit sound difference. Has anyone else gotten a fake before?

 

[zirkonflex]

Sure your old one aint broken/worn out?

 

[kylendm]

Insides are different and it's got three holes on the side and the other only has two.

 

[zirkonflex]

Shiat. Where'd you get it? Used?

 

[kylendm]

Here's an example. I got it off of someone on rig-talk but he was a pretty reputable person. It's been so long though I don't even remember what his name was.

Left is new right is old and yes I realize I broke a wire on the old one haha.

 

[Sethis]

I had gotten one of those fakes too. It sounded really really bad and I took it back. Lesson learned: Don't buy used SM57s!

 

[DeclanWhite]

i had a couple fake sm57s that i got off ebay from a private seller lol. sounded fucking terrible!

 

[kylendm]

Thing is, my guitar sound really doesn't sound all that bad through this mic. I'm really curious to hear the difference though.

 

[drew_drummer]

Dude, microphones are pretty subjective anyway. They're pretty simple designs, and when you realize what they actually are in a physical sense, you can ignore a large amount of the marketing bullshit you read.

If you like your fake SM57, don't feel bad. It's entirely possible that it is GOOD. I have a T-Bone condensor microphone; cheap Chinese piece o' shite. But it rocks.

 

[The spark]

SM Fakey-Seven?

 

[visceral]

I got suckered into buying an SM57 off of ebay once before. It was like $50 and brand new. I was so stoked...of course it turned out to be fake. This happened before I realized fake microphones existed. Luckily I didn't buy more of them. It was an impulse buy and I did come close to ordering like 4 of them.

But honestly the mic didn't have a bad sound to it. Just knowing it is a fake is enough to make you wonder "how would things have sounded if I used a real SM57". I know just how you feel, and it is a very annoying feeling.

 

[updog]

you'd think it wouldn't be profitable to manufacture and sell fakes of a mere SM57... i mean, it's not like you'd buy more anyway if you already bought one and it sounded like shit, not to mention word gets around fast when fakes like these are being sold on ebay or similar sites.

 

[DeclanWhite]

i made a comparison clip between my fake 57 and one of my sm58s without the grill cup (ignore the shitty tone. it's a krank rev jr into a harley benton cab and i sucked at micing)

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12459294/fake sm57 vs real sm58.mp3

here's the difference between the two frequency wise

so as you can see it's not very useable imo. i could never get useable tones. then i started using my 58 and it was wayyy better. then got a real 57 from a SHOP and now i can stop stressing

 

[MatrixClaw]

I made a comparison between a real SM57, fake SM57, Beta 57 and an SM58 a while back:

[ame]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AlKlewX04E0[/ame]

 

[Sethis]

@Declan Yep that's pretty much what my fake also sounded like. No bottom end at all and very harsh and nasal. Eww. I just matched EQ it to a real SM57 response before I got an actual genuine mic. haha

 

[kylendm]

Weird. Mine doesn't sound like that at all.

 

[kylendm]

I don't have any solo clips but this is what mine sounds like. Ignore the intro lol.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3602793/heartbeat.mp3

 

[bryan_kilco]

Strange, I got like 3 or 4 SM57's, used, from a friend of a friend a few years back, for dirt cheap. I have one laying right here and just opened it up and the inside "plate" where the wires attach looks silver like your fake one, but the threads and area near the threads look like the real 57. I had been wondering about if it was a fake or not. Green and yellow wires.

 

[ForHerDeadEyes]

I plan on getting a SM57 next month.. I'm assuming they're the real deal when bought from a musicgear-store?

 

[kvoid]

watch the packaging. the real ones have that new shure slide out box. the fakes have a cardboard lid you lift to open. the fakes are considerably lighter, and you can tell by the font on the sticker on the plastic cap.